Guard-rail clamp.



J. A. BODKIN.

GUARD RAIL CLAMP. APrLIoATIoN FILED MAY 21, 1911.

1,040,61 1 Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

WZ//zeg/ ,gimen/fwn l il .Tomi A.. nomma, or NEW Yoan, N. Y

GUARD-nari. cLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Apputanon ined my 27, 1911. smal Nj. 629,900.

Patented oet.- s, 1912;

To all 'whom t may concem Be it known that I, JOHN A. Bonnin, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of New York, State of New York, have invented a certain` new and useful Improvement in Guard-Rail Clamps, and declare, the following to be a full, clear, and exact description `of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it: pertains to make and use the same, reference bein had to the accom anying drawings, whic form a part o this specification.

My invention has for its object to producev yFigure l is a cross-section through al traffic rail and a guard rail connected tof.

gether by means ot a clamp arranged in ac- "eordauce with. a preferred form of my fin-- vention; and Fig. 2 is a section approxiY mately on line2-.-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing. 'l representsa 4traffic rail'and 2 a guard rail. In accordjence with my invention I make use of a heavy U-sha ed bolt having one arm reduced as lindicated at 3 so as to permit it to pass through the webs of the rails With-i out making the openings through the railsv too large, and having its other arm, 4, extending underneath the bases of the rails. In the preferred arrangement the bolt is so placed that its yoke 5 lies on the outside of the traffic rail while the free ends of the arms project beyond the farther side of the guard rail. The reduction of the diameter in the upper arm of the bolt produces an annular shoulder 6 which may either bear directly against the web of the traliic rail engage with a washer 7 which Vis osed between it and th'e rail. The member 3 is preferably screw-threaded throughout the major portion of its length ter the reception of suitable nuts or abutineuis by which the rails are rigidly heldat the desired distance apart. In the prefer-red arrangement thereC are two Yabutments, 8 and 9, which are adapted to lie between the two `rails and engage with the traiiic rail and the guard rail, respectively, 'when the clamp is assembled in operative relation to the rails. Upon the freeends of the arms Tof the bolt is secured a bracket or brace 10 having a jaw 11 for embracinr the base flange of the guard rail on one si e of the guard rail and having an upright portion 1'2 adapted to fit between the ,head and the base flange of the. guard rail. 'The bracket or brace is provided `with an o eninlr 13 for the passage ofthe arm 4 o the bolt and a second opening .14 for the lissage of the member 3 of the bolt. The liracketor brace is held in place, and the whole is rigidly tied together, by means of nuts 15 and 16-,arranged respectively 'on the `free lend ofthe member 3 and on the free end of the member 4. Wlien'the clamp is to be placed n position, 'the nuts 15 and 16 and the 'abutments 8 and 9 are'unscrewed from the arms of the bolt, the upper arm is inserted through the web of the traflic rail and the abut-ment 8 is applied. The abutment 9 is thenscrewed in place before the upper arm' is inserted through the opening in the ard rail. The abutment 8, coperating with 'the shoulder l6 and the washer 7, clam s the bolt tirml to the traflc rail. 'lhe all) justed longitudinally' of the bolt so as to produce the proper distance between the two rails when the guard rail is held i against the abutment. The bracket or brace is then slipped upon 'the free ends of the arms of the bolts -and the nuts 15- and 16 are applied. This serves to clam the guard rail firmly to the up er arm of t e bolt and places the yoke an the lower arm of the bolt under tension so as to make the guard rail unyielding under the pressures to which it is subjected in operation. If desired, any usual spacing device may be'employed instead of the members 8 and 9.

While I have illustrated and described only a single preferred form of mv invention', I do not desire to be limitedto the particular structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which fall Within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

through thewebs of a traiiic,- rail and a` memberf having one arm adapted to pass threaded throughout substantially itsentire.

length, and the other arm ofvsaid member having screw-threads at itsv free end.

3. In a guard rail clamp, a U-shapedy member having screw threads on bothwof its arms, one of said arms being long lenough to pass'through the Webs of al traffic rail and a guai'd-'rail, and the other arm being long enough to extend across the bases of both rails. 1

4.*In a guard rai1'c1amp a U-shaped member having one arm adapted to pass guard rail and having its other arm adapted to lpass beneath'thefbaSes of said'rails, and relatively adjustable labutments on the Iirst :mentioned `arr/n for engagingwith the sides of thefvwebs ofthe rails., some of said abutmentsl being detachable., y y f 5 ...I`n a, guard rail clamp, a U-shaped :through the. Webs of a traiic rail and Aa guard rail, the aforesaid :arm being screw` threaded throughout substantially. its entire length, the other arm of said member having screw-threads at its free end, and a. series of railengaging abutments threaded onthe arm which is adapted to pass through the webs of the rails.

6. In combination, a guard rail and a` traiiic rail, a U-shaped clamp memberv having one arm passing through the Webs of.

said rails andthe other arm passing beneath the bases .of the rails, a bracket secured upon the free ends of said arms and engaging with the side of the adjacent rail, and means on they arm Which passes through the Webs of the" rails for' engaging With the sides of the rail webs.

'7. In combination, aY guard rail and, a trafiic rail, .a U-shaped clamp member having one'arm passing through the Webs of said rails and the other arm passing beneath the bases of the rails, and relatively adjustable devices on said arms engaging with the sides of said rails.

8. In con1bination, a guard rail and av traffic rail, a U-shaped clamp member having one armf passing through :the Webs of said rails and the other arm passing beneath the bases of the rai1s, a bracket adjustablymountedon the free'ends of said arms for` engaging the side of ,one of said rails, andl detachable clampingdev'icesmounted on the arm which `passes through thewebs of the v rails for engagingwith the sides of the yrail 'webs.

. 9. In combination, a .trafic-L rail 'and a guard rail, a U-bolt having one armpassing through the Webs of the-railsy and the Vother arm passing beneath the bases ofthe rails, a bracket secured upon the free ends of said arms and shaped to'embrac' one side of the base flange of one offthecrails and engage with the web of that rail, andv abutments screw-threaded upon the` upper arm.v of theA bolt between the rails and. engaging With the sides of therails.

10. In combination, a' dguard rail and a'- `traiic.rai1, a U-shaped clamp member having one arm passing through the Webs'of said rails and the other arm passing under the bases of the rails, spacing means between the'rails, anda rail-engaging member se.-

cured upon the free ends of the arms ofsaid member. e

In testimony7 whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses. JOI-IN A. BUDKIN. Witnesses: f

WM. F. FRENDENREICH, RUBY V. BRYDGES.

Oopies ofthis patent may be obtained for ve centspeach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

.- Washington, D. C. i 

